Onus Probandi
by missheartilly
Summary: A whole population of realians are feared dead on a Federation planet. It's up to Scientia to discover what happened. Ziggy, MOMO and Juli are in for far more than they bargained for as they piece together what took place on the planet after the UMN collapse six years ago.
1. Systems Failure

**Preface:** This is a story I've been writing for the better part of this year. I had another long story I was writing (Rise to the Ashes), but to be honest, I wasn't happy with the direction it was going in at all. Eventually, I came up with a story idea that is more interesting, entertaining, and touches on some of the concepts I wanted to have in the other story in a far better way. So at any rate, please enjoy this story. Don't forget to add a review, as they really mean a lot to me after putting so much time into this story.

This will be updated pretty quickly as all 21 chapters are for the most part written. As they are revised, they'll be posted! So look for frequent updates from this one.

Thanks to Joh, Kristy and Stitched for all your help, encouragement, and lulz.

No ducks were harmed in the making of this story.

* * *

 **Chapter One: System Failure**

Six years ago, if anyone had told her they'd both be sitting in a waiting area outside Vector's realian R&D laboratory, MOMO wouldn't have believed them. She was seated beside her mother, hands in her lap and tugging at her skirt nervously. She'd been seated here before, on what she thought may have been the same bench a little more than a year ago. Her mother and Ziggy were seated beside her quietly giving their support.

"This is an important moment for you, for all of us." Her mother had said.

The young realian wasn't sure what she should've been feeling, and when her name was called, she looked to both of them, her mother and the cyborg that was registered as her "I-I'm not ready!"

"You'll be fine." Juli Mizrahi told her. "We'll be here to support you."

MOMO quickly looked over to Ziggy, feeling frantic and unsure of herself. "What if I regret it? Is this really what Daddy wanted, I-"

"There's no need to be afraid." He comforted her. "What's important is that this is what you want. If it's any consolation, you've grown a great deal since I met you. You're only changing your appearance to better reflect who you are now. I'm proud of you and who you've become."

"Really?"

"Really." It was one of the few times she had seen him smile. Of course, a smile for him meant a slight tightening of the corners of his mouth and softening of his brow. This time, it seemed to be a little more than what she had become used to.

MOMO smiled back at him, and her mother kneeled beside her and pulled her close. "I'm so proud of you too." She pulled away and then tucked a strand of MOMO's hair behind her ears. "Go on, we'll be back when it's time to take you home."

MOMO looked over to Ziggy, who gave her a nod of approval. Biting her lip, she turned toward the door to follow the technician who was waiting patiently for her. She stopped upon reaching the frame and looked back toward them. It was the last time she had seen both of them with her former eyes.

Today, however, she wasn't waiting to be called. She was the same height as her mother now. Although she resembled her a bit more, her were still quite the same. Her mind wandered over the experience, wondering if she could find any comfort in that situation. Having found none, MOMO fidgeted in her seat and let out a heavy sigh.

Juli had her full attention focused upon her new RMN connection gear. Renovo Mundus Network, as it was called, was now in the process of being installed and in their current sector of space. The network itself was far from complete. Having spent the last number of years rebuilding it from scratch proved to be a challenge. In it's current state, the basic functionality and gate compatibility were present, but not much else. It would take many more years before it would become even remotely close to former UMN. However, the galaxy as it was, had been under far too much turmoil in the last six years to wait for further improvements, those could be added later.

Sensing distress in her daughter, she put down the device, a small handheld tablet. It differed greatly from the standard UMN connection gear. Although the old was compatible with the RMN, it was found to be too bulky and recently redesigned for mass production. She had been using this prototype for some time and found it to be far more comfortable.

"What's wrong?" Juli asked.

MOMO looked over at her mother and frowned. "I'm just worried."

"What about?"

"I'm worried about Ziggy. I—I just feel awful." MOMO bit her lip and grasped at the edge of the seat. "I feel like I talked him into doing something he didn't want to do."

"MOMO." Juli smiled, lightly tapping the connection gear on her knee. "If he didn't want to go through with it, we wouldn't be here now."

"Yeah, I guess so." MOMO sighed and slumped into her seat. "Still, I can't help but feel guilty somehow."

"You shouldn't." Juli comforted her. "Besides, it's as you said yourself, It's only temporary. If he doesn't like it, he doesn't have to keep it. I have to hand it to you, I've been trying to convince him for years and you've somehow managed to change his mind after five minutes of talking to him."

"Yeah..." MOMO feigned a smile Her thoughts drifted to a few weeks ago when it had all began. The day had started out fairly routine, working on RMN source code, tweaking the user interface, discussing the next steps in the network, the next planets to help. MOMO hadn't moved from her chair in hours, working diligently on a framework that would eventually allow transmitting matter through the RMN. As it was, all goods and materials had to be transferred between gates solely by the use of cargo vessels. It usually meant aid to planets to be time consuming. Initially, they would work with Scientia to set up a basic network grid in the more populated areas of the various planets they were visiting. Within a few days to a week, materials would arrive as needed to help assist the people. It often meant going incognito and staying within hiding until the ships arrived to avoid conflict as many planets were faring worse than some.

She'd gotten a call from Juli, asking her to return home as soon as she was able. There had been a problem with Ziggy and since she also had an understanding of how he worked, perhaps she'd be able to help figure out the problem. When she arrived, she found him lying in his bed, , as her mother had been reading over the readouts.

"I know you've worked on him a few times yourself." Juli said when she'd entered the room. "Maybe you can help."

"Um..." MOMO approached the panel and pressed a few buttons. "I can try. What happened to him?"

"Normally he wakes up around seven or eight in the morning. It was nearly ten and he wasn't up yet. I came in to check on him, and he was wide awake. He said his body wasn't responding. He had no trouble moving his right arm or his neck, but the rest of him... well he's basically paralysed."

"Could it be that he's?" MOMO looked up at her, a look of panic crossed her features. "Maybe he's..."

"I don't think that's the case." Juli said, trying to calm her fears. "At least not yet anyway. The life treatment he received years ago is still going strong. His brain function isn't in decline and physically, he seems to be healthy all things considered."

"Could it be a malfunction?" MOMO, relieved to hear that at least, scanned through the lines of data. "Maybe a breakdown of some part that's preventing him from being able to control himself?"

"Perhaps. But I can't seem to pinpoint the exact problem. If it's something small, we may be able to fix it or at least replicate the part. If it's not, and something much bigger, I'm not sure what we can do. Who knows if even be able to access Ziggurat Industries old parts. It very well could've been erased during the UMN collapse."

"I think I may have found the problem." MOMO swallowed. "If it is, it doesn't look good." Juli came over and she pointed it out. "Right here, lines 20156 through 20388, I'm seeing nothing but errors." She scrolled a little further through the lines looking for more information. Juli was impressed, it would have taken her some time to pinpoint the problem. She wasn't sure if it was that MOMO was a realian or that she'd become so adept at reading through code and detecting problems in the last few years. She figured it was probably a combination of both.

"There." Juli pointed to a line of code. "It looks like the problem is stemming from part malfunctions all across the spinal area."

"Do you think we can fix it?" MOMO asked.

"I don't know. That's a very sensitive area. One wrong move or minor miscalculation and we'll end up causing a lot more damage." She looked over to her daughter and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe we should have Vector take a look at him."

"But they're not very specialized in cybernetics." MOMO frowned. "I don't know of anyone else who is." MOMO's shoulders slumped in resignation and she turned toward Ziggy's sleeping form. "...Why did they have to do this to him?"

Juli stood behind her and draped an arm over her shoulder. "I don't know." She wondered for a moment how their lives may have been different had he not become victim to life recycling. "For what it's worth, if they hadn't, we wouldn't be here now."

Hours later, Vector and even Doctus herself had paid a visit. It was nearly impossible to move him and all of his equipment to a better location, but they were able to better pinpoint the cause of the problems and the exact parts that were malfunctioning. MOMO and Juli had been sitting restlessly in the main room of their apartment. The occasional yelps from Alby could be heard from MOMO's bedroom, they had to put the small dog somewhere as to not get in the way.

Doctus stepped out of the room and approached the two. For a moment, Juli tried to read the andriod's expression and realized she had much better luck reading Ziggy's mind after they had first met. MOMO had looked up too noticing that she was there.

"Well... do you want the good news or the bad news first?" Doctus said.

"Good." MOMO sputtered.

"Bad." Juli spoke at the same time as her daughter. She looked toward her with a slight smile.

"Bad I guess." MOMO nodded.

"You were right." Doctus began. "The source of the malfunctions he's experiencing is based within the spinal column, about in the center. In a human that would mean from the waist down. For our cyborg friend, it means most of his mechanical functionalities are shot. Had this happened seven, eight years ago, he'd be able to be repaired without a problem. However, as you're well aware, we haven't quite connected to all of the Federation. There's a remote possibility that we may be able to find the proper parts, or at least the schematics to be able to replicate them. It looks like until we find them, we're out of luck."

"Isn't there any way we could take them out and try to repair them, or maybe replace them?" MOMO sat forward in her seat.

"I'm not sure if that is an option. Doing so without the proper documentation might risk damaging more important systems such as life support." Doctus explained. "We want to fix him, not kill him."

"Oh." MOMO slumped back into the chair and frowned.

"What about the good news?" Juli asked.

"Well, speaking of more important systems, Ziggurat Industries was smart to say the least. Life support and brain seems to run from motor . It seems like it was a fail-safe of sorts to ensure the long-term reliability of their products. Keep the product from wanting to end it's life and keep it alive as long as possible. Thankfully, your little tampering with that system a few years ago didn't have any adverse affects on anything else."

"What caused all of this to happen?" MOMO asked.

"Ultimately, it looks like regular wear and tear. Like any machine put to constant use, one day everything seems to be within working order and the next something breaks and it's rendered useless. Even with regular , with body as old as his, it's a wonder he's made it this long."

"Are there any other options?" MOMO asked. "There has to be something we can do for him!"

"I know of another option, but we've discussed it before. I know what he'd say now if we asked." Juli sighed. "It's not worth mentioning. We'll have to wait it out, I suppose and keep looking."

"I'll see what I can do to aid the search." Doctus said. "There has to be someone out there we've reached who might know something."

Days had passed and life seemed to continue on as it had, minus an important aspect of both of their lives. He was awake, but refused to say more than a few words to either of them. MOMO could tell Juli had become restless. MOMO was battling a similar restlessnes combined with constant concern eating away at her. They had just finished eating a silent dinner. Juli hadn't spoken hardly one word to her aside from compliments on the meal she had prepared. She hadn't been much in the mood for talking either, although she did talk about the progress she was making on her new Ether Circuit program. After fifteen minutes, she was placing the dishes in the automatic dishwasher and preparing the leftovers to be taken to work by both of them the next day. As the door closed, MOMO noticed her mother heading toward Ziggy's room. She watched with mild curiosity. She'd avoided him for most of the last two days, and although MOMO had paid him a visit a few times a day, it seemed short and fruitless even for her.

A few moments passed and she could hear muffled voices within the room. Curiosity piqued, she turned into her audio sensors. She wanted to know what they were talking about, but she knew it really wasn't her business. On the other hand, he had barely spoken a word to either of them since the incident occurred. She knew he would be able to read her proximity with his own sensors. Maybe if she only got a little closer to the wall...

Juli had taken a seat beside him and she'd been holding onto his gloved hand for several minutes now. They hadn't exchanged much conversation beyond small talk. She'd asked him how he was feeling, to which she received an unemotional "as well as can be expected". Juli went on to tell her about their day, which had been rather mundane. She was about to ask him how his day had been, but she knew the answer already.

"Have you spoken to MOMO today?" Juli asked him.

"No." The cyborg told her, flatly.

"Maybe you should. I'm sure she'd like to talk to you." Juli feigned a smile.

"If she wants to talk to me, she can come in." Ziggy's frown tightened and his eyes closed. "I- would rather her not, however."

"You don't want to see her?" Juli frowned.

"It's hard enough speaking to you now as it is." His eyes remained closed and he turned his head the other way. "Seeing me in my current state might cause her undue stress and I'd rather not worry her more than I already have."

"So what are you going to do?" Juli asked, letting his hand go. It fell limply on the of his maintainance bed. "Just sit here alone, in the dark, for the rest of your days and mope?"

"What else can I do, Juli?" His eyes opened then and his voice took on a sharp edge, a stark contrast from the distant tone he'd been using. "At the rate things are going, I may as well be . Perhaps I'd prove myself to be more useful as scrap metal."

Juli's brow and she leaned back into her seat, taken back by his words. "I—I can't believe you."

He stared back at her, words had suddenly become caught in his throat as he realized the depth of what he had just implied. "I—ah"

"After all this time, and everything we've been through together, you just want to throw it all away because we can't find the parts you need to fix you?" Juli stood up then, and turned her back toward him. "Was all that you told me about finally being ready to move beyond your past a lie?"

"No. I—Look. Juli. I—"

"If that's the case, maybe I should've arranged to have your memories erased years ago!" She couldn't bear to look back at him as she walked to the door.

MOMO noticed that her mother's signature was approaching the door and she dashed off toward her console, pretending to work on the application she had started hours ago.

Juli stood at the door and swallowed. There were a million things she wanted to tell him, shout at him, but she couldn't find the right words. Realizing it was fruitless and she had probably done enough damage by this point, she opened the door and slammed it behind her before dashing past her daughter and into her own bedroom.

If he were even capable of standing up, he would've went after her. His right hand had been reaching out toward her as she'd walked through the doorframe and once the door slammed, he dropped it limply before pulling it back to his face. He let out a frustrated sigh and dropped his hand to his side, continuing to stare up at the dark . " _Damn it._ "

MOMO hesitated, biting her lip. She wasn't sure what she should do. Her eyes darted between her mother's bedroom and Ziggy's room. Following her best instincts, and predicting her mother's emotional state based on her life signs, she decided to check up on her first. The realian listened against the door, something she'd done far too much of today, before knocking.

"What is it?" Juli's voice sounded remarkably calm, if only strained.

Biting her lip, MOMO . "Mom, are you okay?"

There was silence again, and she noticed her signature approaching. She pulled herself away from the door and stood back, hands folded behind her back and head bowed. The door opened and she met her mother face to face. For a moment, she almost felt like her former self. She was almost expecting to see a woman twice her height.

"I'm alright." Juli told her.

"Are you sure? I thought I heard you and Ziggy and I was worried."

"We had a little..." Juli told her. "Sometimes when people are upset they say things they don't really mean. We'll be fine, I'm sure."

"Do you want me to try to talk to him?" MOMO asked, her hands fell of her now, and she pressed them together anxiously.

"Be my guest." Juli sighed leaning against the door frame. "He's being stubborn and obstinate as ever. Just... don't let anything he says get to you."

"O-okay." MOMO frowned.

She left her mother then, and headed toward the door down the hall beyond the living area where Ziggy had taken up residence. It was large enough just for his bed and not much more. Although a folding chair was kept in there, originally by herself. He'd continue to remind them that he had no need for belongings or decoration. Yet the few pictures she had drawn of them when she was younger with a few photographs she'd decorated his room with had remained untouched. She quietly knocked on his door. "Ziggy?"

"Yes." His voice came through the door.

"Is it alright if I come in?"

There was hesitation before he responded. "…Yes." She opened the door then and closed it behind her. The room was dark, and she didn't bother to turn on the lights. She knew that sometimes he preferred to sit in the darkness. He had night vision capabilities anyway, and it was likely second-nature for him.

"Hi." The realian stood just inside the door.

"Hi." He responded flatly. He wasn't even looking at her, his eyes were still affixed to the .

"Um, I saw Mom run out and-"

"MOMO." Ziggy's line of vision hadn't budged. "How much of our conversation did you overhear?"

MOMO opened her mouth wanting to say _none of it_. Instead, she pressed her lips together and her shoulders dropped in resignation. "All of it, well most of it. I caught everything at the end."

"That's what I thought."

"I'm sorry, I know you really hate eavesdropping and I didn't mean to, but I was really worried about you and..."

"No, it's all right." Ziggy sighed. "I'm not angry with you."

"Oh..." MOMO's expression lightened then and she crossed the room and stood beside the bed. She looked down at him. His eyes hadn't moved from the ceiling, and they seemed distant. It was an expression, or rather a lack thereof, that she hadn't seen in some time. As if realizing her eyes were on him, he shifted his focus toward her.

"I'd understand, however, if you were angry with me." His voice turned softer, less gruff than it had been before. "If it's any consolation, I didn't intend to hurt your mother... or you, by what I said. I was merely voicing my frustration over... my current predicament."

MOMO closed her eyes and dropped her head. "I'm not mad at you, Ziggy. You've been through a lot, and you've lived a really long life. I know it has to be hard right now. I—I'd understand if you didn't really want to live anymore if it meant you had to be stuck in this room. I wouldn't want to live that way either."

"MOMO." Ziggy frowned and placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's not that I want to die. It's been a long time since I've felt that way. I only feel helpless and frustrated in my current state. The last thing I'd want to do is cause you and your mother pain, but... I suppose that will be unavoidable now that..."

MOMO placed her hand on top of his. "M-maybe it doesn't have to be this way. Maybe there's a way we can all still be together like before and you won't feel so useless."

"What do you mean?"

"I know you and Mom have talked about it before, but it was years ago and long before you were having problems." MOMO bit her lip, hesitating as if she knew the response would be negative. "But if you had a realian body, maybe-"

"MOMO, I've been over this with your mother and—"

MOMO shook her head. She continued, cutting him off. "Maybe... you could help us out on missions and things like that and go back to your old body, at least until we are able to repair you." MOMO grabbed onto his hand with both of hers. "Maybe we can make some kind of device for you to move around, like a hoverchair or something so you're not stuck like this. But if you had a body like mine, you could be a lot more useful. The next planet we're heading to might be really dangerous and it would be great if you could come along. It would only be temporary and if you don't like it... well, you can go back if it makes you feel more comfortable."

"I see your point." Ziggy squeezed her hand slightly. "Perhaps it's worth consideration in that case. I'll give it some thought, but no promises."

"Right. No promises." MOMO smiled at him.

* * *

"Doctor Mizrahi? MOMO Mizrahi?" The voice of a woman broke MOMO's concentration. She looked up immediately and noticed a woman in a labcoat standing near them.

"Yes?" Juli was the one to speak first. She'd put down her connection gear beside her.

"Ziggurat 8 seems to be adjusting well. The link was . All of our initial tests came back a hundred percent. He's functioning about as well as can be expected."

"Can we see him?" MOMO sat up straight, hands at her side and fingertips pressed into the cushion.

"Yes." The woman smiled. "He can see you now. If you'd follow me."

MOMO looked over to her mother, her expression had brightened and Juli smiled back at her. MOMO stood up first and Juli tucked away her connection gear into her bag. They followed the woman through a large sliding door and down two long hallways. They stopped at a window and they both peeked inside. They could see him from where they were standing. He was seated at the edge of a standard realian bed. He was facing away from them and was positioned several meters away from the window. Even from the distance, the blond hair and build were strikingly familiar. The two entered the room and stood near the doorway, as if neither of them had the courage to continue forward.

Ziggy seemed to be deep in concentration. He was looking down at his new hands and feet. For a moment, MOMO wondered if he was studying them. The whole process must have been disorienting, and the familiar feeling of guilt and anxiety rose to the surface again.

"Jan." Juli finally spoke up. She wasn't sure if their signatures were unfamiliar to him in this new body, or if he was so deep in concentration that he just wasn't paying attention.

He looked up then, dropping his hands, he turned at the waist looking back toward them. Upon recognizing the two, he stood up and took a few slow steps toward them.

MOMO bit her lip, as she tried to read him. He looked fine, and didn't seem to be particularly upset or bothered by the form he was now residing in. She could see it then, the slight tightening at the corner of his lips and the gentler expression. "Ziggy!" MOMO exclaimed and ran toward him.

"MOMO, careful!" Juli called after her.

"It's fine." Ziggy said, opening his arms toward her. MOMO ran into him wrapping her arms around him tightly. The initial contact threw him off balance momentarily, but he quickly regained his composure. Juli was beside the two a second later, to cross the room a bit slower than her daughter had. MOMO had pulled away and Juli wrapped an arm around him and he returned the gesture.

"Does it feel good to be able to move again?" MOMO asked.

"Yes." Ziggy said nodding toward her.

"How are you adjusting?" Juli asked. Her arm was still around his back.

"It's taking some time. I'm unfamiliar with this operating system and... my change in weight. It feels strange." Ziggy clenched his left fist, having forgotten what it felt like to have two identical hands full of nerve endings. "I suppose you could equate it to adjusting to a change in gravity."

"You're... a little shorter too." MOMO said, looking up at him. "It looks like 7.62 centimeters. It was probably all in your cybernetic legs." She smiled at him.

"It looks like the program you added is working, MOMO." Juli commented.

"Program?" Ziggy looked toward Juli, a little perplexed.

"I uh..." MOMO began. "added an _illegal_ modification."

"Illegal modification?" Ziggy looked down at her and frowned.

"I added an application that would allow you to change your eye color. The standard for realians is what mine is. It was meant for realians to stand out against humans but without looking... um scary or too weird. I thought it would be great if could change your eye color to your human color if you'd like. I just... didn't expect them to be that color by default. Oops."

Ziggy stared down at her half in disapproval and half in mild amusement that she'd go to such lengths for something as frivolous as eye color. "How do I change it?"

"Have you figured out how to access your internal system diagnostics panel?" MOMO asked him, pointing her her own head. "It's probably a little different than mine... but..."

"I've found it." Ziggy said. It was one of the first things he was shown after beginning his orientation. It only took a few moments to remember how to access it.

"Okay, do you see where the menu is located?"

"Yes." Ziggy nodded.

"Underneath that, in the menu you should see an option for eye color. I made it easy for you to find."

"I see that." Ziggy smirked slightly at her. "It's the option highlighted in pink with the... what is that?" Ziggy raised an eyebrow, upon noticing an animated icon of what appeared to be a small white animal with a wagging tail. "Is that... Alby?"

MOMO stiffled a giggle. "I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't miss it."

"I ... won't."

"He'll be able go home with you. I'm sure it won't be a problem since everything seems to be checking out. He might have a better time adjusting in a place that's a little more familiar rather than in a lab." The they'd met in the hallway crossed the room after finishing up some reports. She handed Juli a Pad with reports and documentation. "If he's having any issues, let us know. We'll get him in as soon as we can."

"Thank you." Juli smiled, taking the pad and looking through it briefly before dropping her hand to the side. "Well, I suppose if you're ready, we can head home."


	2. Momento Mori

**Chapter 2: Momento Mori  
**

It was nearly one in the morning. The thick scent of curry still lingered in the air even hours after the meal had been put away and cleaned up. MOMO had retired to bed, with Alby in tow. Juli had also went to her bedroom for the night about an hour and a half ago. Ziggy had returned to his own room as a temporary sleeping arrangement had been made there, at least until they had more time to find something proper. Juli had offered to share her bed with him for the night, but he had adamantly refused saying it really wasn't necessary. He lay on the futon staring up at the ceiling, feeling very much like he had in days previously. It the silence, he found his mind wandering.

He could see the room, almost a little too clearly - another reminder that he wasn't exactly human. Large windows overlooked the city from high above. It was an apartment building. A glass dinner table took up much of the space in the room. He was seated in a chair positioned next to a sofa. _"I'm sorry to be such trouble. I never wanted to get you so involved."_

" _Oh, don't apologize." He looked up then and he could clearly see her face. Her skin was light and her hair was light and wavy_ _and her eyes a vibrant green_ _. "It's a doctor's job to oppose the development of new drugs."_

" _I'm sorry." He'd muttered. He remembered how nervous and unsure he felt._

" _There, apologizing again." She laughed lightly and then came closer to him sitting on the dining room chair. It was her_ _apartment_ _, and suddenly could almost recall every detail in perfect clarity. "Listen, all humans are caught up in something bigger than themselves. It's up to each individual to decide what to do. You don't just... spread trouble wherever you go."_

" _I'm sorr… wait, no… I apologize too much, sorry. Ah, no, I did it again…" He stammered and placed his palm to his face. He could_ _almost_ _feel his cheeks growing hot with_ _embarrassment_ _. It was as if he was trying to tell himself to calm down._

" _You know what?" She spoke up again and she was leaning in closer. It wasn't helping his anxiety and he leaned backward stiffly, swallowing hard. He looked at her questioningly._

 _She was smiling at him again. He could remember how her eyes squinted as she smiled. It felt so genuine and he remembered how it made him want to smile too. "You're a gentle person. But you're afraid of hurting people who are close to you. It's as though something horrible happened, and you shut off your heart."  
_  
Ziggy shot up and grimaced, feeling as if he had been physically transported to another time. There had been instances all along where memories would resurface. They usually came in flashes, other times in a slow trickle, only after some event or conversation had triggered them. Sometimes he would dream about the past, but it would come in fragments: a face, lost details, the sound of a laugh, an emotion that felt far too distant to fully grasp or articulate. Never, since he woke up in Ziggurat Industries laboratory over a century ago, had his memories came back in such full force.

Realizing sleep would be impossible, he left the room and found the kitchen. Turning on the faucet, he poured himself a glass of water and downed it quickly before rinsing it off and setting it aside. He started back toward his room when noticed that both Juli and MOMO were sleeping in their respective rooms. His hand lingered over the door controls, but he never entered the combination. He looked back toward the room, it was dim, slightly illuminated only by the the window. He could remember standing near a similar window shortly after they had arrived at the Dammerung six years ago. He couldn't sleep well for nights after they'd returned from Michtam. Those memories haunted him, seeing that place again which tormented his dreams for far too long. He couldn't stop thinking about Canaan, or rather Lactis, how if he had only known, maybe...

He could feel his thoughts drifting again as he stood by the window and he shook them off. Instead, he kept his sensors tracked on Juli and MOMO while trying to learn more about his operating system and all of the new functions that he wasn't quite accustomed to yet. At least this seemed to be taking his mind off the memories he'd rather not dredge up.

All was well until he started to feel uncomfortable and he felt the constant desire to shift his weight. Checking his internal clock, he'd realized he was standing entirely still for nearly forty minutes going through menu screens and readouts. He remembered in his previous body, he could stand in one place entirely still for days if needed. Although the need ever arised and he never had enough idle time on his hands to just stand there to find out how long he could withstand it just _because_. He realized the sofa would be a lot more comfortable.

Resigning to a more comfortable location he sat down and continued to familiarize himself with everything he could find, changing his vision from night, to daylight, fluorescent lighting, dim light, bright light, he found himself wondering why options such as "sepia" or "inversion" were even necessary. By now an hour and a half had passed and he'd shifted positions again, leaning his elbow against the armrest. His vision blurred and he stared straight ahead toward the dark screen of the RMN console.

 _"Well… without apologizing, will you let Joaquin and I look out for you?"_ It was as if her voice could nearly cut through the silence in the room. He blinked again and rubbed at his eyes. He tried to refocus his attention, maybe if he remembered something more recent, it would drown out the more distant memories.

" _Doctor Mizrahi..." He'd protested. "Do you really believe it's safe to attend the Federation committee meeting alone? Given the current situation I'd rather-"_

" _Don't be silly, Jan." Juli waved him off before placing her hand on her hip. "It's not like I'm flying halfway across the galaxy to some shady remote run down dock colony. It's two buildings over and Doctus will be there. Why don't you spend the afternoon with MOMO? It's been some time before she's enjoyed herself. Here." She reached into her purse and pulled out a credit card. "Go treat her to ice cream or a movie or something. She'd probably really like that, coming from you." She pressed the card into his right hand and smiled._

"But Doctor Mizrahi—" Ziggy looked down at the card and then back at her.

" _No buts." Juli shook her head. "And can you just please stop calling me doctor?_ _I thought we were on a_ _first-name basis by now." Juli frowned at him._

" _I'm only concerned with your safety." He didn't want to easily drop the subject._

" _I appreciate you_ _r_ _concern, but it will be fine." Juli shook her head. "When was the last time you've relaxed?"_

 _Ziggy stared at her coldly as he tried to think about the last time he'd allowed himself to feel even the slightest bit at ease. "I-"_

" _I thought so. Look, let me look after you for once."_ _Juli insisted._

" _...Day and night?" It seemed as if suddenly his memories_ _ceased to have any coherency, faces, images and voices blending._

" _...Yes, please do."_

Ziggy suddenly snapped out of his trance and rubbed at his eyes again. Growing frustrated. he picked up the remote control to the console and turned it on. The volume was down low and he began flipping through channels, most were static. The first thing he managed to find was an advertisement program about a foam-covered wire that could be wrapped around storage bags to keep the contents fresh. "Ban-noodle!" The man on the screen exclaimed after demonstrating a bag full of colored water with and without the product.

"You're up late." He heard a voice come from the doorway, and he almost thought that his mind had begun to wander. Ziggy turned his head and found Juli standing at her door in a long shirt and a pair of comfortable pants.

"I was having difficulty falling asleep." Ziggy explained flipping the channel again. "I was trying to find something to help clear my mind."

Juli walked over to him and sat down beside him. "It's the new body, isn't it?"

"Yes." He rubbed at his eyes again, finding it difficult to visually focus. In his former body, when he needed to focus his vision, he just usually needed to adjust his sensory output. He wasn't sure if this body was lacking that functionality or he just didn't know how to do it.

"Infomercials, huh?" Juli smiled at him. "I'd have never thought."

"It appears to be the only thing broadcasting at this hour." Ziggy flipped the channel again to a channel guide in hopes that there might be something interesting. As the channel listing scrolled by, a video of a man dramatically dropping an oversized bowl of pasta on the floor began playing.

"I can't seem to escape this."  
"It seems not." Juli stifled a laugh. "When I can't sleep I take a hot bath, drink some tea and read a novel. Maybe something like that might help you."

"Juli, can I be honest with you for a moment?" Ziggy turned off the display screen and set the remote down on the end table.

"Sure, what's on your mind?" She leaned toward him and propped her elbow on the backrest of the sofa.

"After our next mission is complete, I'd... like to return to my old body indefinitely." He frowned and his eyes looked away from hers. He knew how excited she was to agree to using a carbon-based body. She and everyone else had only been suggesting it for the better part of the last eight years.

"Is it because of the sensations?" Juli's tone changed. "Maybe there's some way we can dull them. I'd hate to have you cooped up in your room by yourself."

"It's not just that." Ziggy shook his head. "I admit, it's a little difficult to adjust to, but I'd had become a little more accommodated to that in the last few years. The problem is, my memories seem to be returning somehow, in more clarity. Perhaps when I told you I'd begun to move beyond my past, it might have been a lie. I don't know. If I let myself become unfocused, my mind keeps going back to them..."

"Who?" Juli asked, placing her hand on his arm.

"My wife and son." Ziggy looked away, shamefully. He thought that Juli's touch would fall away at that moment, but it remained and she slid herself closer to him.

"I'm not sure, but it may be due to the condition of your brain in this body. In your old body, your memories were fragmented and you couldn't make much sense of them, right?"

"Yes." Ziggy nodded.

"We don't understand too much about human consciousness." Juli began. "But... from what I do know, our consciousness is intrinsically linked to our brains. It's almost like a recording device. They say the subconscious remembers everything, but the consciousness tends to forget. Instead of your former brain interpreting your memories in fragments and static, it's being transferred through a brain that hadn't been irreparably damaged, so maybe this is why your memories are clearer. I can understand why it would so overwhelming."

"Perhaps." Ziggy said. "Still, I'd rather not have the constant reminder of my past failures."

"Sometimes when I lay in bed alone at night, I think about Joachim and Sakura. I keep asking myself 'what if'. What could I have done differently? What could I have done to prevent the past from happening." Juli leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. "To be honest, there hasn't been a day that goes by where I don't think of them. When I start feeling that way, I think about the life I have now and I realize that things didn't turn out so bad after all. Maybe... they might even be happy for me."

"Do you think... if they could see me, they'd be happy?" Ziggy asked. He pressed his cheek into the top of her head.

"I think so." Juli said. "You've come a long way from the cyborg I hired eight years ago." Juli pulled away and sat up straight. "If you want to change bodies, I'm sure that can be arranged, but give it some time. Maybe those memories will start to subside. At least come along for the mission to Zaranya. I'll talk to the lab tomorrow after the meeting and see if there's not some kind of inhibitor or something we can put you on for the time being."

"I'll give it time." Ziggy nodded. "But if it continues as it has been... I'm sorry..."

"I understand." Juli nodded. "Well, it's late. I should probably be going back to bed." She looked over at him again and she noticed a slight, but familiar expression. She hadn't seen it in some time, but she recognized it immediately as the look he'd give her when he was about to ask for something he didn't feel he had the right to ask. "What, what's wrong?"

"Juli, I." Ziggy looked down. "Ah, how do I say this?" He looked back up at her again. "A moment ago when you said you'd think of your late husband and Sakura while alone at night... I was wondering if... perhaps—ah." He looked away.

"You want me to keep you company?" Juli smiled.

"Yes—uh. Something like that. If it's not too much trouble..." Ziggy looked askance, until Juli walked away into her bedroom. She returned a moment later bringing pillows and blankets and draped them onto the sofa. "Really, if it's too much trouble… I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"No, really." Juli wrapped herself in one of the blankets while handing him the other.

"It's fine. I could use your company as well."  
 _  
_

It was almost noon and everyone was gathered within the familiar RMN planning board room. It was located within the offices of the Vector building. Even though Vector was technically now property of Scientia, Doctus had decided to keep the same name to help ease the transition over to the new network. This was the room they had spent several hours planning and delegating tasks during the initial formation of the RMN. Now, they used it weekly for the similar purposes rather than daily. Lately, the meetings had been primarily focused on bringing parts of the Federation back on line, re-establishing gates, and reconnecting the planets in each sector they encountered.

Doctus stood at the end of the table. MOMO, Juli, Ziggy, Miyuki, Togashi, along with several members of both Scientia and Vector were seated in the room.

When everyone was seated, Doctus began the meeting. "Our agenda for today is to discuss our next step in implementing the RMN. As of our last meeting, we've reconnected with twenty-seven planets within three sectors. I realize this doesn't sound like much, but as we continue, we will begin gaining more momentum within the upcoming months and years. Ideally, the RMN should be active within the remainder of the Federation within approximately two years, give or take a few months."

Doctus pressed a button at her console and brought up several images and documents for display. She focused in on the first one, a map of the region of space they were currently in.

"We are currently located here." She pointed to a small dot on the map. "In twenty-eight hours, we'll be within range of Zaranyan space. It's a planet on the farther reaches of the Old Miltia region, about eight light years from Zavarov. Zaranya was terraformed approximately forty-five years ago. Most of the work on the planet had been done by realians. A company known as Realiwave Labs Inc. set up a Realian manufacturing laboratory here. Many of their realians were used for tasks such as terraforming, and the military, but later were suited to many other tasks. Eventually realians became a very big business on this particular planet. However, it was also a tourist location, noted for scenic mountain getaways and expansive beachfront hotels and casinos. Prior to the collapse of the UMN, there were about four million people living on the planet, and roughly ten thousand realians living and working here."

Doctus paused for a moment, scanning the faces of everyone in the crowd, ensuring that the information had sunken in. "Now, here is where it gets _interesting_. Our initial surveys of this planet revealed a few facts. We've only detected less than eight-hundred thousand human life signs on this planet and, even more strange, less than one hundred realian life signs. Aerial scans revealed that there is evidence of conflict having taken place across the planet, namely in the six major cities. All of these cities have been either nearly leveled or abandoned. We found three cities, or rather, camps on the outskirts of a few of the old cities where most of the remaining human population is located. As far as the realians go, they appear to be widely scattered in small isolated groups and located far from human populations."

"I can understand the loss of human life, we've seen it a lot already on a lot of the planets we've visited." MOMO spoke up. "But… ten thousand down to less than a hundred realians? I don't understand! You said they were used in the military, right?"

"Some, but not all, or even most. The military realians were often shipped off to wherever they were needed immediately after manufacturing. It's not likely that many would reside on this planet, if they did remain here, they probably were stuck after the UMN collapse." Doctus said. "That's what makes this situation peculiar. It's likely the ones who lived here were anything from maids to more _recreational_ occupations given the tourist nature of this planet."

"Beyond our usual routine jobs of setting up equipment and getting the network online, our job will also be to investigate what exactly happened here on this planet and try to figure out how and why all of these realians are either missing or dead."

Doctus looked around the room before bringing up another diagram."Here's the itinerary, we'll head down to the planet in three teams. Each team will handle setting up the network equipment within proximity of each of these camps. Because we don't know the situation on-ground, so it is imperative that each of the nodes is positioned out of view should they be found."

"Once the ground teams have completed this task, we'll work on getting the base functionality of the network online, as per usual. In the mean time, I'd like the three teams to head into the camps and try to blend in, investigate and figure out what happened. The Federation convoy will be arriving about eight to twelve days after we arrive to supply both humanitarian aid and additional supplies. Because of the supply situation on Second Atlas, it's going to take a bit longer than normal, but this should provide us with enough time to do a full investigation. Each of the teams will need to dress in civilian clothes, and I'd recommend dirtying them up a bit before heading into the camps. You'll each be provided with enough med kits and rations to last for the duration of this mission."

"Miyuki, you'll be with me. We're going to head to the eastern encampment closer to the beaches." She pointed out the location on the map. "Terry and Micheal, You'll head to the Northwest camp adjacent to the mountain range." A woman with long dark hair in a barrette nodded. Her assigned partner was seated next to her, a darker skinned man with long brown wavy hair and a beard.

Doctus looked toward Ziggy then."That leaves MOMO and Ziggurat- Ziggy, Jan whatever you're called now, you'll go to the Southern camp. This one appears to be in closer proximity to an isolated group of realians. Instead of investigating the camp there, I'd like you to head toward this realian group and get any information you can from them. Before heading out, I'd like the two of you to check in with the other teams to ensure it will be safe, in case this was a realian against realian conflict. However, given the proximity these remaining realians keep from the human encampments, this is unlikely to be the cause."

She looked over at Ziggy again and he stared back at her, unsure as to her exact line of vision. "Tell me, is that little program MOMO added to your OS working?"

"Yes, why?"

"You might want to use it. If situation down there is indeed hostile toward realians, it will be safer if you are able to blend in on the off-chance you do encounter any humans on the planet."

"What about MOMO?" Ziggy asked.

"She'll need to be careful, this is why it's imperative that both of you find the realians as soon as possible. I would recommend cosmetic adaptations, contact lenses, temporary hair color, We don't want to put two of our finest at risk, but you're both best suited for this part of the operation."

"I'm assuming I'll be taking care of the usual?" Juli commented.

"Yes, you'll be with the team on board the Voluntas monitoring progress and setting up the remote RMN internlink commands as per the usual."

The next two days passed fairly quickly. MOMO spent most of her time working on bug fixes and further code implementations that would eventually be added to the RMN. Her work came first, and was a distraction from thinking about what the upcoming mission. At first, they seemed exciting and promising. She was excited to bring some semblance of normalcy back to the people they'd encountered. Fortunately for her, the first two or three planets they had visited seemed to fare well after the UMN collapse. The people had worked together and managed, somehow, to survive and thrive without relying upon communication and travel to outside worlds. It was a reflection of how her life had previously been on the Dammerung. Yet, as more planets were contacted, she'd discovered that more and more people didn't fare quite as well. War, turmoil, starvation, disease and death were beginning to look far more commonplace.

MOMO didn't consider herself to be a pessimist. She took pride in being able to help others look at the brighter side of any situation. Others, such as Ziggy seemed to be more realistic and often more pragmatic. It wasn't that she didn't understand the importance of seriousness or planning for the worst possible outcome. She only chose not to concentrate too much of her emotional energy on such tasks.

Ziggy on the other hand, hadn't changed much since he'd taken on his new body. MOMO found it amusing at times how he'd refuse something for comfort, only to give in eventually when he found himself growing in his discomfort to the point where it had become unbearable. He and Juli had been out the afternoon after the meeting to return to the Vector realian lab. Her mother had mentioned something about him needing a neural inhibitor. She didn't quite know why, but she could take a guess at the reason. The three of them had went out together that night, namely to find new clothes for Ziggy.

"I'm not sure why you believe I need all of these." He said as Juli handed him a pile of clearanced t-shirts in his size. "Really, I don't require this many. Won't these standard Realian clothes suffice after this mission?"

"No." Juli waved him off. "Oh look, these pants are fifty percent off with an extra fifteen when you buy three or more."

"I don't need…" Ziggy protested, as five pairs of pants were tossed into his arms.

"Don't worry, I'm paying for it." Juli smiled.

MOMO returned carrying a few items in her arms with a huge smile on her face. "I found these for you, Ziggy. I think you'll like them!" She presented a navy blue hooded sweater with blocked designs in black and grey and a pair of slippers.

"Thank you MOMO, but-" Ziggy began, but before he could even consider continuing, he could sense the beginning of a pout forming. He held out his arms with the pile of clothing. "Add it to the rest."

"Oh, we certainly can't forget about these!" Juli tossed a five pack of boxer shorts onto the pile. "Hmm, wait, do you want boxers or boxer-briefs? We're not getting you briefs."

"I-" Ziggy stared at her and the packs of underwear. 'I don't…" He nearly sighed. "Whichever you think is best." Both packs were piled on top, followed by two packs of socks.

"What else do we need?" Juli said looking at the growing pile of clothing that Ziggy was having great difficulty holding. "We should probably get you some shoes… maybe a hat."

"A hat?" Ziggy narrowed his eyes at her.

"No… on second thought…" Juli laughed. "Let's get you some shoes and get out of here."

Before she'd realized it, they were boarding the Voluntas. The ship was known as Scientia's flag ship, and had been used for transportation from the Dammerung to the planets they were travelling to. Beyond being used for transportation, it also housed members of the crew who would often stay on board. They'd only been on board for about two hours when it was time to disembark on the shuttlecrafts toward Zaranya.

MOMO stood next to a window and looked out over the planet. From where she stood, the planet seemed to glow a golden color. She wondered if it would look the same from the surface or if the sky was entirely different. Checking one last time, she made sure she had everything. She was wearing a jacket and a pair of pants, something she wasn't entirely used to, the colors were muted and less vibrant than she preferred. The garments she wore were roughed up, fraying and dirtied in parts, leaving her feeling uncomfortable and a bit out of her element. Her hair had been temporarily dyed a dark brown color and she wore blue contact lenses in an attempt to cover her amber eyes. As she searched through her luggage checking for all the important articles for the trip, she realized her mother and Ziggy were approaching.

Juli smiled at MOMO once she came closer. She was walking alongside Ziggy and was holding a few extra bags. Ziggy himself was loaded down with supplies needed for the trip, likely some of the equipment itself, MOMO thought. The rest of the larger items had probably already been loaded into the shuttlecrafts.

"You almost look like you'll blend in well there." Juli commented, looking MOMO up and down.

"Almost?"

"You'll want to mess up your hair a little."

"Oh… yeah. I guess I forgot about that." She quickly ran her hands through her hair, messing it up as much as she could. When she was done, she looked over at Ziggy for approval. His clothing was also dirty and tattered, but his hair was as it usually was, a combed back solid mass. "You too, Ziggy." She pointed at him and smiled.

"What?" He looked at her and then again at Juli.

Juli dropped the bags she was carrying and roughed her hands through his hair pulling strands loose and causing static. "There. You look like a regular hobo now."

"...Thanks." He shot Juli a dissatisfied look before turning his attention to MOMO. "Do you have everything?" He asked.

"I think so." MOMO nodded.

"The med kits?" He asked.

"Yep." MOMO Nodded.

"Do you have the communication devices?"

"Yeah, right here!" She patted the messenger bag around the shoulder. "I also have the rations and the. I also brought some sunglasses, err… just in case I lose my contact lenses." She hadn't had the time to add such a program to herself, and although she had been given clearance by Scientia, she was hesitant to add any modifications to her own programming. She was as her father had designed her to be after all.

Juli tugged at Ziggy's arm. "You brought the extra medication right, just in case?"

"Yes, I have it." Ziggy assured her. "If that's everything we should be on our way."

Juli nodded at him and then turned toward MOMO. They were standing face to face and she tucked a strand of fluffy brown hair behind her ear. "You be safe, alright? Remember, once you're done setting up the equipment, head straight to where the other realians were sighted."

"I will, mom." MOMO nodded and smiled. "I promise I'll do my best!"

Juli leaned in and placed a kiss on MOMO's forehead and she stepped away turning toward Ziggy. "You take care of yourself too. If there's any trouble I want you to contact us immediately."

Ziggy nodded at her and as he was about to pick up the equipment he had set on the ground beside him, Juli pulled him down toward her and pressed her lips against his briefly before pulling away. "I'll see you soon." Juli told him.

"Try not to worry." Ziggy assured her. "We'll see you again soon."

The two continued on the way toward the boarding dock. MOMO was the first to enter, but not before looking back at her mother and giving her a smile and wave. Ziggy followed and nodded once toward Juli and then entered. He took the co-pilot's chair while MOMO typed away at the navigational panels. "Everything is online and ready to go." She said.

"All right." Ziggy nodded. "Let's head to our assigned destination."

"Coordinates are plotted in" MOMO hit the last series of commands needed before launching and a moment later, the shuttlecraft was on its way toward the planets' atmosphere. It would only be a few minutes until they arrived at their designated landing spot. "You know, Ziggy. It's really great that we'll be able to spend some time together. It's going to almost be like camping!"

"This is a dangerous assignment, MOMO." Ziggy spoke up, looking at his own set of command screens. "Letting your guard down could put you and the others involved in this mission in serious jeopardy."

MOMO frowned and hung her head slightly. "I know… It's just that… ever since we've been travelling, contacting other planets... and ever since your old body stopped functioning properly we've just not spent much time together. Even if it is dangerous… I was just looking forward to it, that's all. It might even be like old times, in a way."

Ziggy was silent for a short moment, only the sound of the engine running could be heard. MOMO began to feel her heart sink slightly, but then he finally spoke up. "I'm looking forward to spending some time with you as well. If we are able, let's try to enjoy it."

MOMO's disposition brightened and she smiled at him. In his own way, he nearly seemed to mirror something similar.


End file.
